


Just Get To The Church

by DeadlyKittenKay (PrettyBlueIz)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Destiel if you squint - Freeform, F/F, Hamilton References, Monster of the Week, POV Donna Hanscum, Slice of Life, Wayward Sisters Big Bang 2018, fluff with a touch angst, mention of dreamhunter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-07-07 00:04:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15896847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrettyBlueIz/pseuds/DeadlyKittenKay
Summary: Donna Hanscum has a perfect life. She's deputy for Sioux City and loves her job. She has the world's most amazing best friend and love of her life in Jody Mills. Together they have the best girls you could ask for. Everything, including their wedding, will be perfect.But even the happiest of families has a dark secret hidden under the rugs...





	1. Six Months and Counting...

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! So I'm super nervous about this fic as it is my first completed bang for 2018 and the first once since I've been back from hiatus that's **not** Destiel lol!
> 
> I want to thank a few people for this... 
> 
> ~First I want to thank loveinghybrid (aka my wife) for being a cheerleader, sounding board, and slave driver.  
> ~A big thank you to the [Wayward Sisters Big Bang](http://waywardsistersbigbang.tumblr.com) mods for hosting this bang and allowing me to heal after the devastating news of WWS not getting picked up by the dumbasses at the CW ~~yes I'm ** _still_** salty about that~~.  
>  ~My fellow writers in the WWSB Discord chat for also being cheerleaders!  
> ~To my Alpha readers and Betas areallysociallyawkwardunicorn & Lotrspnfangirl for looking out for my readers and making me feel sooooooo much better about where the plot went!
> 
> And finally, to my **AMAZING** artist, [kampfhomo](http://kampfhomo.tumblr.com)! She made an amazing story banner and did an excellent job bringing a vision to life! Please stop by her tumblr and give her some love!
> 
> Anyway, enough of that. I hope you enjoy!

Donna set down the white binder, packed full to the edges with samples, ads, notes, and everything else you could think of, sticking out at odd angles. Jody often teased her, lovingly of course, about the collection of wedding things. The girls had even taken to teasing, calling Donna a ‘Bridezilla’.

But, none of them couldn’t possibly understand how much this engagement, this marriage, meant to her. Being a thirty-four-year-old divorcée was embarrassing. Her first marriage had failed because she hadn't 'tried hard enough', at least according to her ex, and although Jody had since gotten her to realize that wasn't the case... she was determined to never have Jody feel that way about their marriage. This would be a better marriage and her final one. This would be the day she and Jody could look back on and remember how they committed themselves to each other in front of their friends and family.

The day, like Jody to Donna, _had_ to be perfect. Not to mention, it would be the first time in the four years they’d been together that the Sheriff of Sioux Falls and Deputy of Sioux City would have time off work and be able to spend it together.

“What is that?” Kaia, Claire’s girlfriend, asked as she sat down next to Claire.

“That is a bible. Or the closest thing you’ll find to one in this house,” Claire answered before Donna could, earning a giggle from Kaia. Claire Novak was one of two girls Jody had adopted. She had been with Jody longer than Alex Jones, but adopted at a much older age.

“For your information, we have a bible in our room. Jody likes to read over her favorite passages after a hard day,” Donna informed the girls. She ignored Claire’s eye roll and smirk and added, “This, Kaia, is what is keeping Jodes and myself from going insane with the wedding.”

“Still say you should have gotten a wedding planner...’ Claire cut in earning a glare from Donna.

“Hey! Someone was dead set and determined to study criminal justice at the same University as Jody. We would have to take from the college fund.”

Claire looked up from where she had her head in Kaia’s lap watching TV and grinned at Donna. “You look really good today, Donna!”

Donna laughed and shook her head as she opened the binder to the six months tab. She had already ordered their invitations and met with their officiant, and leaned forward to check those two items off.

“Do you know if Alex dropped the mail at the post office for me?” Donna asked Claire as she thumbed through the ideas for the honeymoon - she’d promised Jody to show her top three she liked and had put it off far too long. Donna groaned at Claire’s laugh. “Did it slip through again?” she asked, frowning at the blonde smiling at her.

“You betcha!” Claire answered far too enthusiastically.

“Oh hush, I’m not that bubbly!” Donna laughed, playfully swatting at the younger girl. Claire’s favorite thing to do was point out accents, something she and her sister Alex did to Donna every chance they get.

“Uh, no offense Ms. Hanscum, but you are,” Kaia added causing Claire to snort as she laughed harder.

“Keep laughing, Ms. Novak! You’re going with me and Alex tomorrow to get your dress.”

“What?!” Claire sat up quickly. “No, mom said I didn’t have to wear a dress!” she protested.

“You’re going to look sophisticated. Don’t worry.” Donna laughed.

“And I can look sophisticated in pants. Donna, _please_!”

Donna chuckled and looked up to see Jody’s standing in her tan sheriff’s uniform, watching her family with an amused expression. When Jody’s eyes met Donna’s from across the room, Donna felt her own smile widen. Jody had that effect on her - never failed to make her grin like it was Christmas.

“Hiya, Jodes!” Donna greeted her fiancé with a wide smile.

Jody smiled and removed her jacket, hanging it by the door. “What did you say to make Claire beg like that?” she asked, clearly amused.

“Mom! She says I have to wear a dress,” Claire gasps dramatically, then turns her big blue eyes on Jody.

Jody holds her hands up in surrender. “If that’s what the bride wants, I think you should give it to her.” She walks through the living room, stopping to lean down and give Donna a chaste kiss. “Besides, don’t you want to impress Kaia?” she adds.

“Yes, but… a dress?” Claire whined, sounding every bit a teenager rather than the young woman she was. “I didn’t even wear a dress when I went to church with my birth parents!”

Donna smiled and watched as Jody and Claire discussed the merits of Claire sucking it up and doing something nice for someone else - not that Claire didn’t put the wants of others before her own, but she had moments where she only thought of herself. Not that Donna could blame her. Poor kid had had it rough growing up.

Jody ended the discussion by asking Claire to start peeling potatoes for dinner, and just like that, it was as if there’d never been a playful fight about formal gowns.

 

**~*~*~*~*~**

 

The next day, Donna, Claire, Alex, and Patience all piled into Donna’s truck and headed towards the bridal shop. The overall theme was going to be country chic but will transition from formal to a more casual type affair. Because of this, the girls had their reception outfits already decided; it was the more formal look of the ceremony that was being a thorn in Donna and Jody’s sides. The Winchester brothers and their friend, Castiel, were easy enough to get squared away. The girls had opted to have the brothers wear a traditional cut tuxedo with champagne colored vest and straight ties. And Castiel would wear traditional black.

Donna had expected more of a fight from Claire regarding the dresses but when she and Alex walked out in their matching blush wine gowns, it was clear that Claire wasn’t going to fight anymore. The part that led to a disagreement though, was the dresses themselves. Jody’s opinion on the cut was truly answered by “Whatever you want, babe.”

Eventually, the girls had talked Donna into dresses that were cut high in the front but had length in the back. Donna didn’t care much for fashion trends; after all her woman loved her in sweats and a tee-shirt just as much as she did when Donna dressed up. But, she was glad to have the girls help her.

Donna took one look at what was remaining for the month and was pleased to see that all she needed to do was confirm their honeymoon and make a timeline for the big day. She smiled at the note on a cocktail napkin signed by Jody and Dean Winchester, agreeing that he will drive them from the church to the reception and from there to the hotel in his beloved 1967 Chevy Impala That was Jody’s idea and Donna loved every detail of it. Then again, she had a bit of a soft spot for Dean after he stood up for her while she was going through her divorce with “Doug the Douche” - Dean’s words.

“Six more months…” she said to herself.


	2. Four To Go...

_ Four months and counting _ , Donna thought as she stared at her computer screen. The police report she was typing up wasn’t keeping her focus today and normally she was good about keeping her personal life out of her work life. A trick she mastered when she and Doug had started their messy separation that led to their divorce. 

Today she just couldn’t do it. Her heart wasn’t in it. She would joke and say it was the paperwork. Filing reports can be a daunting chore, but Donna actually loved it. She loved her work. Loved meeting new people and helping them. That’s why she and Jody were so well matched. They both loved their job, loved the thrill of catching that bad guy and helping those who can’t help themselves. Donna knew some saw it as them loving their job more than each other, but it was never that way for them. They compared stories. Told each other about their day and in some cases, helped solve the case.

As if reading her mind, Donna’s phone pinged with a text from Jody.

>> **Just saw the invitations. They’re perfect.  
** >> **Kaia and I are working on the envelopes right now.  
** >> **Patience has to work but she’s letting us use her calligraphy kit!  
** >> **Says she’ll help after work**

Donna smiled at the enthusiastic texts from her love. 

>> **Also Dean wants to know if you want Metallica or not. I said yes but he knew you’re on the fence with them  
** >> **Apparently he and Cas are making mixtapes of the music that will be played.  
** >> **I mean that’s a cute favor but is it us???  
** >> **Also I’m picking you up after work. The bakery called & want to meet**

Donna shook her head and responded back.

<< __ Tell D it depends on the song  
<< __ is that us? Come on we’re having our bachelorette party in a karaoke bar  
<< __ costume required  
<< __ I think 80s nostalgic icons of love is us  
<< __ Totally us  
<< _ Also tell D to make them on CD format…  
_ << __ Cause not everyone is stuck in the past

Donna giggled at herself with the last message. She loved Dean like a brother but she seriously wondered if he would ever upgrade his Impala to match today’s musical formats.

>> **He said you’re stuck  
** >> **but Cas has your back  
** >> **I love you. Get some work done deputy!**

Donna chuckled.

<< __ Nice come back Ace  
_ <<thank Cas for me  
_ << __ I love you more

Donna put her phone away feeling a little bit better about her day. Thanks to Jody, she was also able to cross a few more things from the list. 

 

**~*~*~*~*~**

 

Jody was in her Jeep waiting for Donna as promised when her shift was over. She climbed into the passenger seat and smiled, genuinely happy to see Jody.

“Hiya,” she greeted her Jody, laying her Minnesota accent on thick.

Jody laughed and leaned towards Donna. “Hey, beautiful.” Jody pressed her lips gently to Donna’s in greeting, making Donna sigh contentedly. “Ready to eat some cake?” 

It was Donna’s turn to laugh as she righted herself in the seat and buckled in. “Are you kidding me? I was  _ born _ ready!”

Donna could see the fond smile on Jody’s face as she shook her head at her antics. That was something that still managed to catch Donna off guard with their relationship. The way that Jody didn’t judge her. In the past, she would have been met with some snide comment about how it was obvious that she liked to indulge.

“So the boys have a case,” Jody said, as she turned onto the freeway. Because neither of them wanted to break fraternization rules at work, when Donna relocated to North Dakota, she took the deputy position in Sioux City, Iowa. Making her commute either to work or home an hour drive without traffic.

“Dean’s apparently calling it a Werepire.”

Donna huffed a laugh. “Why?”

Jody shrugged and smiled. It was the same smile Donna saw on her when she was speaking of the girls or even her son, Owen, who had passed away. Donna knew that meant that Jody saw Sam and Dean Winchester, even Castiel, as part of her family. 

Donna knew that feeling well.

“Because it’s Dean. You know how excited he gets sometimes.”

Donna huffed a laugh and nodded. “He loves his job.”

“Of course he does,” Jody shifted in her seat. Instantly, Donna could pick up on Jody’s defensive stance. The way her shoulders went from relaxed to a straight hard line. Jody’s left hand went from the loose hold of the bottom of the steering wheel to a tight grip with her right as ten and two. 

“It’s all he or Sam have ever known.”

“I get that, Jodes. I meant it in a good way. Like how you love being the sheriff or I love being the deputy.” Donna watched as Jody relaxed. She couldn’t place why Jody was reacting the way that she was and brushed it off to her Momma Bear mentality she tended to get.

“Right. Anyway, Cas says it’s not a werepire but possibly a rare ghoul,” Jody explained with a shrug as she signaled to get off the highway.

“There’s more than one kind?” Donna was genuinely interested. She loved when she learned new things about the supernatural world that surrounded them. To hear that the things her parents once told her were just Hollywood stories were actually living beings. Creatures that she grew up emulating at Halloween were true.

Donna listened as Jody filled her in on the Ghoul the Winchester brothers were hunting. 

“Dean did tell me to let you know not to fear. He, Sam and Cas will all be here for the wedding,” Jody smiled as she waited for a parking spot.

“I wasn’t worried. I know that those boys will be here for us.” It was the truth. Donna didn’t understand it but those boys always made sure to be there when Jody or Donna called. They were an extension of their family.

**~*~*~*~*~**

The cake tasting was way more stressful than the wedding shows led you to believe. It was fun watching Jody react to certain pairings and with the way Jody would laugh, it was safe to say that Donna’s reactions could be just as entertaining. 

Neither women were a fan of the blueberry, lemon chiffon cake with the blueberry and avocado filling. That cake actually inspired a laughing fit that lasted at least ten minutes. 

Both brides decided to keep things as normal as possible with a decadent chocolate cake with a strawberry puree. Since their wedding was less than fifty people they decided to go with a two-tier structure. The cake itself would be covered in strawberry flavor infused buttercream that would be painted to look like the birchwood invitations, complete with a ‘carving’ of their initials.

Another task marked off the checklist.


	3. Two Months Left...

With two months left until the big day, Donna was starting to feel the stress. Not to say that things weren’t going to plan. She was just having a hard time dealing with work, home, and -- what felt like -- planning the wedding on her own.

She had managed to get everything confirmed and as RSVPs came flooding in she was relieved. One of the bigger worries she had was that people wouldn’t be as accepting of her union to Jody. Sure, the folks of Sioux Falls loved the Sheriff and were happy for the two, but that didn’t mean Donna’s family and friends back in Hibbings, Minnesota would be. 

She even found time to do another walkthrough of their venue. 

The glass church was something that she and Jody had found on their first camping trip together. The two had gone on an early morning hike to come across the structure. They were both blown away by the beauty of the structure. High arches of wood held floor to ceiling windows, giving you a three-hundred-sixty-degree view of the woods that surrounded it. The floor, while not as organic as the benches or structure themselves, still felt as if it was a natural selection and blended with the colors natural colors of the pews. 

The best part about the church was that it was community owned and ran. Meaning there wasn’t a set hierarchy for it or someone who felt they had the rights to the structure. And despite their concerns that the community may have not been supportive of two women being married in the beautiful building, Donna and Jody plucked up the courage and asked. 

Now, not only were they getting married in their dream location, but they were also getting help with the decorating. A much-needed relief for Donna.

The biggest stress at the moment for Donna wasn’t the wedding but her fianceé. Donna had noticed that Jody went from being an active participant in the planning to be at arm's length. At first, Donna had assumed that it was just the usual work duties, pulling Jody away and making her seem distant. Especially when there were reports of animal attacks about three hours north of them. And when these attacks started to gain in numbers, Donna wasn’t surprised that Jody had gone to help the locals.

But that was weeks ago and last that Donna heard, they had gotten the animal responsible. 

However, right now she couldn’t focus on that. She had to pay attention to what Claire was trying to tell her regarding the bachelorette party. It turns out that Jody has to work the weekend they were planning on going to New York for the event. 

_ “It’s okay, Donna. Go, have fun. Get Lin’s autograph then call me that night to rub it in,” Jody had said when they were getting ready for bed.  _

_ Donna folded her arms over her chest and leaned against the bathroom counter as Jody washed her face.  _

_ “But this is our favorite musical and our bachelorette party. You know I’ve never been to New York and I wanted to go with you.”  _

_ “I know, babe. And I  _ promise _ I will take you.” Jody paused to rinse and dry her face. “It will be better because it will be just us,” Jody put her hand on Donna’s hip and smiled. “We’ll go to Central Park and people watch as we eat from the street carts. We’ll take the clichéd selfie at time square. Make love in the hotel’s giant over fluffed beds.” _

_ Donna blushed at Jody’s last comment and wrapped her arms around Jody’s neck smiling. “I really like that idea.” _

_ “Good.” _

“I promise, Hanscum, you’re gonna have fun.” Claire’s matter-of-fact statement brought Donna out of her thoughts and focus her attention back to the younger blonde. 

“I’m sure I will.”

 

**~*~*~*~*~**

 

The weekend started off with Donna, Alex, Claire, Patience, and Kaia all flying to New York. Claire had requested that they were served champagne in honor of their weekend but Donna declined for all. Sure the girls were all over twenty-one, but for Donna, they were still the teenagers she met and felt that they were her own children. Especially Claire. She couldn’t explain the connection she felt with the feisty orphan but it was there. 

When the girls arrived in New York the first went to Kat’z Deli where they enjoyed a lunch of round knishes and pastrami sandwiches; then, of course, there was shopping to be done. 

“You can’t go to a Broadway play in jeans, Claire.” Patience had explained exasperatedly when Claire asked why the new clothes were needed.

“Didn’t you know? Claire is secretly Biker Barbie.” Alex teased, shoving Claire with her shoulder.

Claire looked down at her torn jeans, black tee-shirt, and leather jacket - complete with combat boots. “Thank you,” she said with a grin, clearly taking that as a compliment. 

Donna smiled as she watched the girls. Her girls. Something she never thought she would have and was thankful for Jody sharing this with her.

The girls all agreed on a store where they all got clothes that would pass as their Sunday best. They had even gone to a spa to get pampered before the big show. 

Dressed to the nines, the girls made their way to the theater. Donna’s nerves mixed with the anxious pit in her stomach. She wished that Jody could be there with them as Hamilton was a favorite of both of theirs but being a cop, Donna definitely understood how difficult it is to have time off.

She made the best of it, though. She thoroughly enjoyed the show. Watching Lin Manuel and other members of the original cast on stage was an experience she never thought she would have. And as Jeff Groff sang his bits as King George, Donna couldn’t help but send a text to Jody.

>> _I miss you Jodes_

Jody didn’t text back, a fact that didn’t worry Donna. Until the next morning when she was woken up by her phone ringing. 

“‘Ello?”

“Hey, Donna, sorry to wake you,” voice of Sam on the other line wasn’t hard to miss.

“It’s okay, Sam.”

“When are you ladies coming home?” 

“Our flight is in…” she paused to look at the clock. “Six hours. Why what’s up?”

“Jody needs you to come home asap.”


	4. The Clock Is Ticking...

Having Sam or Dean Winchester call, wasn’t a rare occurrence. In fact, Donna could expect to hear from either one of the brothers at least twice a month, if not more. 

She often looked forward to their calls. Dean’s was always full of witty movie and show references, quick to make Donna’s eyes tear from laughter. Sam’s were more calm,  reassuring, and peaceful. His calls always reminded her of when she would call home in college. A quick update on how school was then questioned about things back home. This was Sam. He was the brother calling to see how the family was doing.

That’s why when he called saying Donna was needed back at home. She literally dropped everything. 

With massive amounts of apologies and promises to have a slumber party with the girls at home, she plunked down a chunk of change and got on the next non-stop flight home.

Sam hadn’t told Donna what was wrong with Jody, only that she was needed. Naturally, every scenario of what could have gone wrong was running through her head. After all, Donna was all too familiar with the dangers both she and Jody put themselves in every day they wear their uniform. 

Needless to say that by the time she landed at Sioux Fall Regional Airport, she had worked herself into a panic attack. Luckily Dean was there to help her. Of the Winchester brothers, Dean was the one Donna felt closer too. He acted and sounded a lot like her older brother back home. 

Once he had assured her that Jody was okay and not as bad as she had made it seem, she was able to get into the Impala to go home. Dean was always good about reading the room and stopped himself from turning up the Metallica album he was listening to, instead of cracking jokes and, surprisingly enough, asking her questions about the musical Hamilton.

When they got to the house, Dean assured Donna that Jody was fine. She still had to see if for herself. Jody was sitting in the lazy boy, reclining in her police academy sweatshirt and a flannel. If it wasn’t for the sling on her arm and the cast of her left arm, you would have thought she was just having a lazy day.

“Jodes! What happened?” Donna asked in a rush going to her fianceé’s side.

Jody chuckled softly. “It’s nothing. I’m fine.”

“Your arm is encased in fiberglass and in a sling. That’s far from okay.”

Jody rolled her brown eyes fondly. “I’m fine. I was chasing a suspect on foot and got tripped up by a dog. Fractured my radius in the fall,” she explained pointing to the thumb side of the cast.

“How long do you need the cast? Do we need to push the wedding back? Because I’m okay with that. I’d rather you be comfortable and healed.”

Jody laughed. “Hanscum, calm down. We don’t need to put anything on hold. The docs are going to have this removed before the wedding. I just might have a pale arm.” 

Donna frowned. She didn’t like Jody making light of the situation but she understood that it was Jody’s way of dealing with things. 

Donna kissed Jody’s cheek. “I’m glad you’re okay. When Sam called I was expecting a lot worse,” she admitted. 

It didn’t escape Donna’s notice the way Jody’s eyes flashed to Sam and Dean who were standing off to the side of the living room. Or the way Dean smacked Sam upside the head. 

“Not to be rude, you know I love you guys, but why are you here?” Donna finally asked. 

“We were in town, coming back from a job,” Dean responded with a bored shrug.

“We thought we would check up on Jody, knowing you were having your party in New York,” Sam added, giving Donna a dimpled smile.

She nodded even though something told her things were off. She just couldn’t place it.

 

**~*~*~*~*~**

 

As the days went on the stress of the wedding and work was starting to get to not only Jody but Donna as well. More specifically, the way Jody was acting, was getting to Donna. While, yes, all the major decisions regarding the wedding had been addressed there were still little things that needed to be agreed upon - do they take pictures before the ceremony or after? Should Donna wear her hair up or down? Did Cas need The Bible for the vows or no? - that needed Jody’s input. More and more, Donna was being met with either “do whatever you want,’ frustrated sighs or even an “I don’t really care.” 

Thankfully, the Winchester brothers had stayed. Whether it was their idea or they could tell that the two women needed a buffer, Donna had no idea. Either way, she was grateful. Especially when Dean swooped in after a near fight, leading a heartbroken Donna out the door and to the nearest nail salon and spa. She was pleasantly surprised - and honestly, elated - when Dean not only took her there but stayed with her. 

She tried so hard not to laugh when he waltzed out of the changing room with the fluffy white robe on. It was hard to picture that the same man sitting next to her, sipping mimosas and getting a manicure was the macho man she knew and loved. Dean was a good friend and Donna didn’t know what she would have done without him.

They were able to talk about the tension that was ever present in the Mills-Hanscum house. Donna tried to dismiss it as wedding stress but she knew there was more to it, asking Dean’s thoughts.

“I’m no Dr. Phil, but you guys need to talk.”

Donna sighed leaned her head back against the lounge she was using while getting a pedicure and foot massage. “I know we do. I’m just afraid that if I open up that line of communication, she’s going to say she wants to leave.”

“Are you kidding me? She friggin’ loves you, Donna. She looks at you like-”

“Castiel looks at you?” Donna cut him off and smiled when the faint color on his face showed.

“Cas looks at humanity that way. It’s Cas,” Dean defended making Donna laugh. “And we’re not talking about that. Focus, blondie.”

Donna’s smile faltered. “Something’s wrong, Dean. I can feel it in my soul.”

“That feeling of despair at the thought of losing her, that is how you know what you and Jody have, it’s real. She’s the sheriff, she’s stressed out from work. Trust me.”

Donna was going to do just that. After all, Dean hadn't steered her wrong yet.

  
  



	5. It's Time!

It was here. The day Donna was waiting for. A year of planning and finally she was seeing her dream come to fruition. She smiled from her seat in the limo. Just outside these doors and down the path was her future. Her future with Donna and their “kids”, Alex, Claire, and Patience. 

She ran her hand down the smooth satin of her dress. She felt like a princess, even more so than the first time she had done this. Even if the formality of the wedding wasn’t really her or Jody’s style, she still loved it. Even her bouquet was perfect. She loved the smell of the gardenias and how bright and bubbly they seemed. And the vibrant purple colors of the anemone reminded her so much of Jody’s colorful personality that there was no way she couldn’t include them. She stared at the black roses that appeared hidden inside the bouquet.  _ Why are these here? _ She thought, then remembered the smell blended well with the gardenias. 

The door to her right opens and Dean leans in and smiles at her. 

“Ready for your grand entrance, sweetheart?”

Donna’s smile is wide as she places her hand in Dean’s. Her engagement ring sits upon her right hand. The hand itself has a delicate and small Henna pattern on it.  _ When did I get this? _ She thinks to herself again.

“Patience did really good with the Henna,” Dean comments. “She’s got a steady hand, that one.” He tucks Donna’s hand into the crook of his left elbow and walks her towards the church.

Jody is waiting for her with Castiel and Claire. Donna’s breath is taken away by the stunning beauty in the white tux smiling at her. 

“There weren’t any hex bags.” She hears Sam whisper behind her. She tries to look over her shoulder at him but Dean tuts her with his tongue.

“Don’t look at what is behind, but focus on what’s ahead.”

_ Right, ahead.  _ Donna thinks.  _ My future with my love. _

Castiel smiles at Donna as she joins Jody at the altar. Donna has to try not to giggle at the idea that an angel of the lord was officiating their wedding, in a church.  _ Take that Westboro. _

Jody’s hand is soft as it takes Donna’s. She looks down at their hands.  _ Is that bigger than before? _ Donna wonders as she notices the intricate Henna art now spans the backside of her hand as well as the fingers, unlike before. 

“Dearly beloved, we are here to witness the union of two souls pledging to become one with their for love for each other and grimoires.” Castiel’s voice starts the ceremony and startles Donna. 

_ Did he just say grimoires? _

“Who gives this woman away today?” Castiel asks as if nothing strange happened.

“ _ Rowena _ ?” Claire asks, quietly.

Donna looks at the young girl, dressed in slacks and a blouse to match the color of the wedding scheme. She looks different than that of the Claire Donna knows. Younger somehow.

Dean kisses Donna’s cheek and takes his spot as the groomsmen of honor. 

“ _ Could be a natural witch _ ,” Castiel continues as he opens the Bible in his hands.

Donna looks at him confused. That was the second mention of witchcraft he’s slipped into conversation. 

“Both Donna and Jody have asked that I read from the borrowers. Personally, this passage is also a favorite of mine…” he clears his throat and begins to read. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”

Donna is still staring at Castiel when she feels the fingers of her right hand get squeezed. She looks at their hands. She jumps back slightly, in both shock and fright as the Henna is now up to her wrist and growing. The dye of the Henna is different now, almost a midnight blue that starts to fill in her forearm with intricate swirls. 

“Donna!” 

She looks up to Jody who is smiling at her like a Stepford wife. “What?” Donna asks.

“Donna!” It’s definitely Jody’s voice but it couldn’t be as Donna was looking right at her and this Jody was smiling at her.

“Jody wait!” Claire’s voice called out, making Donna look to the young girl beside her.

“Is everything okay?” Castiel asks calmly.

_ No, _ Donna thought but couldn’t get out. It was as if her mouth had been sewn shut. 

“You said, witches!” 

“There was a hex bag in her truck!”

“CALM DOWN!” The sound of Dean’s voice shouting made her jump again, this time turning to see her best man looking at her in concern.

_ Did you just say that?  _ She wanted to ask but again, couldn’t get the words out.

“Now,” Castiel’s voice brought her attention back to him where he smiled warmly at her. “The brides have prepared the silver knife in lambs blood. Jody, we’ll start with you.”

Donna’s head started to hurt. A dull throb that had started at the base of her skull had grown to a searing pounding. She felt as if her head was in a vice and someone was slowly tightening the device. She dropped the bouquet, her hands going for her head to try and alleviate the pain as she fell to her knees.

Finally, a sound escaped her mouth. Her shrill, ear-piercing scream, echoed through the vaulted ceiling of the old church. The stained glass shattered around them creating a rainbow of colors bouncing off of every surface.

“Donna, baby! Hold on!” Jody’s voice calls out, sounding as if she was underwater. “Please, baby… I love you!” 

It’s the last thing Donna heard as a pitch black void sweeps over her, rendering her unconscious.

 

**~*~*~*~*~**

 

_ Beep… beep… beep… _

The rhythmic sound made Donna swat at the air as if a fly was buzzing in her ear. The motion of swinging her arm hurt. As did her chest, head, and jaw. She had her eyes closed but she could tell by the antiseptic smells and sounds around her, she was in the hospital.  _ What the heck happened? _ She thought as she debated on opening her eyes.

She felt the mattress compress near her left hip, a sign that someone had sat on the bed beside her. A soft hand took Donna’s and she could feel their thumb caressing the top of her hand. 

Slowly, Donna opened her eyes. The harsh brightness of the lights contrasting the peaceful darkness she had, clashed with her senses, making her head throb harder.

“Donna, it’s okay. You don’t have to open your eyes just yet,” Jody’s voice said softly. “Just rest.”

Donna nodded slightly, feeling her veins fill with warmth as she fell back to sleep.

 

**~*~*~*~*~**

 

“Okay… explain this to me again, because I’m having a really hard time understanding what is happening.”

Donna watched as Jody slumped her shoulders and looked over at the Winchester brothers.

“Donna, you were-” Sam started but she held her hand up to stop him.

“If you don’t mind, Sam-” She looked over at the brothers “- Dean, could you two step outside. I need to talk to Jody alone.” Donna looked back at Jody and waited until both Sam and Dean had left. 

“I want the truth and I want  _ you  _ to tell it.”

Donna watched as Jody took a deep breath and took her hand. “I’ve been hunting with the boys since I met them. Remember how I told you about Sean and Owen dying?” she asked. 

Donna nodded remembering that night clearly. Poor Jody was still devastated by the loss of her husband and young son. “Yes. You said they were killed in a freak accident.”

Jody let out a dark chuckle. “Yeah. The freak accident was the dead coming back to life. Owen had died once before. And then suddenly one day, he just shows up again. I thought maybe I had finally done something good in the eyes of God, why else would my baby boy be back?” She let out a stuttering breath, obviously trying to keep from crying.

Donna shifted in the bed, to sit up and give Jody her full attention.

“The boys, they came out to investigate the dead returning. They tried to pull their FBI spiel on me, only I knew their contact, personally. You’ve heard of him, Bobby Singer?” Donna nodded at Jody’s question. 

“Well, I tried to chase them out of town, not wanting to believe something was wrong, only to come home to find Sean dead and Owen…” she trailed off and stared into the distance.

“So you’ve been hunting the supernatural since?”

Jody shook her head. “No, when weird things started to show up, I’d call them. Let them know what I found. It wasn’t until the convention that I actually started to get my hands dirty.”

“Wait… the one where we met, in Hibbings?”

Jody nodded. “That’s why when Dean and Sam showed up I introduced them as the FBI agents they were imitating.”

“So the whole time we’ve been together, you’ve been hunting?” Donna asked to clarify. When Jody nodded in the affirmative Donna couldn’t help the hurt she felt. “You lied?”

“I didn’t want you to get involved with this! I didn’t want you to get hurt!”

“Fat load that did,” Donna scoffed. “You were perfectly fine of me knowing about this but you kept me in the dark about it all in truth.”

“I didn’t mean too. I would tell you about the things the boys were hunting so you could learn in case you ever got caught in this situation. I never wanted you to be caught but I also didn’t want you to be unprepared.” Jody explained. “Donna, I love you. I don’t want to lose you to a monster like I did Sean.”

“You said that I was captured by a genie?”

“A djinn, yes. The one, in particular, was a bizarre hybrid that not only fed on your serotonin but on your cortisol.”

“Can you dumb that down, boss?”

Donna watched as a small smile formed on Jody’s lips. “Traditionally, when you’re in a dream state caused by the djinn, it’s a happy ever after dream. Everything is sunshine and daisies and this causes your brain to release the serotonin. They feed off that in your bloodstream. The boys had encountered one that did the opposite, making you have a recurring nightmare so that you are stressed and your adrenaline and cortisol is high, which is what it fed off.”

Jody paused and shifted to face Donna better. “Cas said you told him your dream was about the wedding?”

“It didn’t feel like a dream though. It felt so real until everyone started to mention facts about witches…”

Jody chuckled slightly. “That was reality seeping through. Cas told us that you were waking yourself up, which, as far as the lore goes, has never happened. We have to either kill the djinn or you kill yourself in your dream.”

“When did I go missing?” Donna asked. 

“A week before our bachelorette party.”

“When you told me you had to work that weekend.”

Jody shook her head. “No, I think that’s when your dream started. Because when I last talked to you before you went missing you told me you were going to meet with the florist at the chapel. You had said something about him needing to go over the floral arrangements on the pew.”

“So we never fought?” Donna asked.

Jody shook her head no.

“And I never went with the girls to New York for Hamilton?”

Jody huffed a laugh. “As if you could get Claire to go to a Broadway show.” 

Donna smiled slightly. “And you never got hurt.”

“No. I was never hurt.”

“And we’re not married.”

Jody smiled a bit more. “Not yet, no.”

Donna nodded and looked out the window. After several moments of silence, she asked: “Jodes, can you do me a favor?”

“Anything.”

Donna looked over at Jody. “No more secrets. We hunt together  _ after _ our honeymoon.”

Jody laughed, a relieved look on her face as she leaned forward to press a kiss to Donna’s forehead. “I promise.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No offense meant by the use of religious or cultural items. I wanted to use specific things for the tie-in of the Djinn :)


	6. A Dream Come True

Donna and Jody stood next to each in the gowns. Donna felt like royalty in her ball gown and tiara. But nothing could beat the smile on Jody’s face as she looked down at her. That smile made the last year of recovery worth it. Because now, Donna was Mrs. Donna Mills.

The road to the church wasn’t the easiest one to have. There were a lot of bumps and hills to cover. The first of which was rescheduling all the vendors to a later date. Donna’s own recovery had prevented them from keeping their original date as she was in therapy for a while. Having sustained the injuries she had from —  what Jody believed to be — Donna fighting back when captured, required her to heal and learn to use her left leg again. 

But in the time that she took to heal, she also learned a new trade. Monster hunting. Everyone had told her that she was a natural. It helped that she used to go game hunting with her father and brother’s growing up. She was skilled with a gun obviously, thanks to her career, but it was the blade and hand to hand that really set her apart. 

In fact, just last week, she and Claire had successfully taken out a nest of vamps in North Dakota.

Donna was still haunted by her capture from the djinn. Often times when things seemed too good for comfort she would question it but Jody did everything to assure Donna that this was really their life. 

The feel of soft smooth lips on Donna’s cheek made her smile as she saw the flash from their photographer captured the moment. Even though the nightmares were always going to be there, Donna couldn’t deny, she had the best life ever.

 


End file.
